Why Xara over Ill/Corel? (Complete noob Q.)

**AngelicLight** · 05 March 2008, 08:16 PM

Hi, there,

I just found out about Xara and was wondering if anyone could elaborate its advantage over Illustrator and/or CorelDRAW. I won't be going with Illustrator at all due to a funky workflow so Corel seemed like the obvious choice. Until I stumbled upon Xara, that is....

I guess the main question is does Xara lack any of the features of the other two? Can you work in layers like in Illustrator? I love the artwork done with Xara over the galleries I've seen.

Another question - did anyone switch from either of those other two packages?

Thanks, and sorry for some basic and obvious questions...

- A

**iamtheblues** · 05 March 2008, 08:32 PM

It depends what you want a vector illustration package to do.
If it is for desktop publishing, then CorelDraw is better at handling
text. But it is a bit slow and clunky, awkward to learn, but easier
by far than Illustrator.
Xara is very fast, works like a dream and very user friendly. It is
also by far the best value for money of the three you mention,
and you'll get results you will be pleased with from day one.
You could download the trial versions of CorelDraw X4 and Xara
Xtreme Pro and compare them both.
If you decide on Xara, (and I have every reason to think you will)
there's always plenty of friendly assistance right here.
I used to be a CorelDraw user, but I find Xara much easier to use,
and get better results. I even find that I am using Xara more and
more as a replacement for Paintshop Pro, it's pretty good at
manipulating/repairing photos too.
You should visit the Xara Xone for a whole load of tutorials and resources,
(all free) it's one of the best sites on the web. Hope this helps,
Saludos,
Bob.

**AngelicLight** · 05 March 2008, 08:48 PM

Bob,

Thanks tons!

I don't really have a DTP need, most (if not all) of the work I intend to do is either illustrations and fine art, either stand-alone or for import into Flash.

I've already downloaded the demo and it seems like a superb tool.

I can't help noting, too, with what seems to be a rabid, though extremely friendly, userbase, why Xara isn't more well known, but it's more of a rhetorical question...

Thanks for the input so far and I'm looking forward to hearing others ideas on this, too!

Have a good day, all,

- A

**steve.ledger** · 05 March 2008, 09:05 PM

I wasn't aware that any of us are infected by rabies

But of course many of us show excessive enthusiasm for XaraXtreme

I can agree 100% with Bobs comments and perhaps add that of you want to enjoy working with vector and raster graphics, then there is but one choice.
If you want value for money, the choice is made simpler still.

Like Bob, for raster work I was a PaintShopPro lover - now everything I did with PSP is done in XaraXtremePro.

**raynerj1** · 05 March 2008, 10:43 PM

I have all 3... Illustrator, Corel draw and Xara... I use illustrator as a print buffer for print shops. I use Corel Draw as a door stop. I do 99.9% of my graphics with xara. The only thing I have not found a use for xara in is doing radio spots... If it involves visual graphics, I have found xara is a greatest tool.

I have been using xara for over 12 years... It is just fun to create with.

**Soquili** · 05 March 2008, 11:20 PM

Welcome to Talkgraphics AngelicLight.

I tried Serif DrawPlus 1.0 in the early 1990s, CorelDraw 4.0 a few years later. Neither program was intuitive or easy to use in my opinion.

In 2000 the public beta of Xara X was released. The first version after the marketing deal between Corel and Xara had expired. Corel had offered Xara's application as CorelXara but had not advertised and promoted it as they did their own CorelDraw.

The public beta of Xara X was the most intuitive and easy program I had every used. I've been hooked (or should I say addicted) ever since.

Xara X, Xara X¹, Xara Xtreme, Xara Xtreme Pro are FUN to use and make graphics work enjoyable. Being paid to do something you enjoy so much is almost a reason to feel guilty....but not quite

**jclements** · 06 March 2008, 02:20 AM

Part of the speed factor of Xara v.s. other applications is the way it deals with transparency.

As you become more familiar and versatile with Xara, transparency is key to many rendering needs.

Transparency is almost like an addiction once you get into it ... thus, with faster and easier the transparency effects, the better your "high".

**AngelicLight** · 06 March 2008, 08:09 AM

I don't see anything on the Xara web site about Xara having layers. It's not as big a deal a need as with Photoshop, but it's one of the things that "seems" like a useful feature in Illustrator or Corel.

Does Xara have them? And if not, does anyone find this to be a deficiency in workflow?

I do appreaciate all the replies so far - I'm really gettting sold on Xara and wonder where I've been the past however many years to have missed this great app!

- A